The Tower Theatre in Fresno,
California is located on the corner of North Wishon and East Olive, in
the heart of the historic arts & entertainment mecca of Central California.
The original Tower was originally a Fox Theatre when it opened in fateful
1939. The dramatic architectural featured backlighted etched green glass
panels, and sculptured aluminum fittings throughout its art deco
presence. This building is completely restored and is the only 1930's
suburban theater extant designed by Los Angeles architect S.
Charles Lee (1899-1990).

This theatre has an enormous paved parking lot and
building boasting more than 20,000 square feet. The structure was described
by Lee consisting of multilevel steel-reinforced concrete arrowhead-shaped
patterns. Its central auditorium is situated on a 45 degree axis to
the South facing entrance.

Two retail wings accentuate the central auditorium.
Each without ostentation being set-off with fitted painted wood casements,
large storefront windows, French doors and old-style overhead transoms.
Elegant cobalt blue ceramic tile work traces the store entrances which
are protected from sun and rain by retractable merchant canvas awnings.

At the Tower Theater's Box Office and exterior Lobby,
an eighty foot fluted prominence rises dramatically over the surrounding
business and residential mixed-use zone. At night,the lighted tower]s
fittings of linear neon tube lighting, is crowned by a radiant multi-colored
globe. The light show is reminiscent of 1939 New York World's Fair
exhibits.

The Tower corner cantilevered marquee is balanced
on a cleverly situated Box Office with glazed windows and an automated
ticket dispenser. Metallic horizontal lines on ticket booth glazing,
repeat through horizontal incantations all about the exterior and interior
of this Theatre. The outer lobby deck is a multi-colored polished terrazzo
radiating and emanating in a series of leaf patterns. Ample poster cases
surround the outer lobby and lead to three pairs of etched-glass entry
doors opening on to a lush carpeted foyer just inside.

The
inner foyer is furnished in rich wood veneer, gold leaf and structural
aluminum, painted murals and blacklight. Theatre access doors leading
into the theater auditorium at each end are embellished. A mezzanine
lounge provides access to restrooms rooms and smoking areas.

The bas-relief etched-glass panel created by Carvarts
of Los Angeles is at the center of the entrance lobby. It is a magnificent
representation entitled 'The Huntsman' a nearly identical knockoff of
the 1927 glass sculpture by Gaetano Cecere (1894-1985). Authentication
of the panel has been inconclusive, however.

The
auditorium is rectilinear with a juxtaposed stage area at its center.
Capable of seating 900 movie goers at one setting, each side has three
recessed areas displaying circular murals that are positioned above
decorative aluminum sculptured sconces. The murals are stylized 'Leda
and Swan' and 'Vine' motifs, painted with fluorescent pigments. Illuminated
by black light fixtures the murals and sconces give off an erie light.
This feature is one of the Tower Theatre's trademarks. The mysterious
glowing murals were the design of Netherlands muralist, Anthony Heinsbergen
(1895-1981). The blacklight innovations were credited to the genius
if R. H. McCullough and Walter Bantau.

Local architectural historians have accredited Heinsbergen's
assistants, brothers Tom and Frank Bouman, for the final installation
of the Tower Theatre murals, and actually painting them at night by
blacklight to assure that they would achieve the proper fluorescent
effects.

The glory days of the past behind it, the Tower Theatre
building now functions again as a community meeting place for performing
arts and lectures. Summer film festivals have been proposed.

Historical Significance

A high-profile private-sector venture during the
late Depression, the Tower Theatre was designed by S. Charles Lee and
built by Trewhitt, Shields & Fisher, major Central San Joaquin Valley
general contractors, at a cost of $100,000. It was the largest and most
sophisticated privately-funded commercial building designed in that
style at that time in Fresno. Rushed into occupancy before Christmas
of 1939, the building was not issued a final certificate of completion
until January 29, 1940.

The Tower Theatre opened with a premier showing of
the film 'Balalaika' for a private party of local dignitaries, Fox Theater
executives and guests on December 14, 1939. Co-hosts for the event were
developer and owner A. Emory Wishon (1882-1948) of San Francisco, a
prominent California hydroelectric executive, and Charles P. Skoura
of Los Angeles, president of Fox West Coast Theaters. The theater opened
its doors to the film-viewing public on December 15, 1939. The double
feature program included 'Dancing Coed' and 'Henry Goes Arizona.'

The Tower Theatre is noted for being one of several
suburban theater designs that S. Charles Lee devised to show film industry
executives a new look in commercial movie theaters.&quot It was profiled
shortly after its completion in a lavishly illustrated article in Motion
Picture Herald.

As Fresno's first suburban cinema, The Tower Theatre
became the dominant vertical landmark anchoring a loosely-knit collection
of shops that had been developing into a lively shopping area since
1923. The 'Tower District' as the area became known, provided several
retail establishments and acres of free parking, including the theater's
own on-site parking lot. Two miles north of downtown Fresno, the Tower
District was located just a few short blocks from Fresno High School
and Fresno State College, at the center of a growing residential section
of town. With so many basic services nearby, area residents and students
no longer needed to rely on shops and attractions downtown, where parking
was difficult.

A complete restoration of the exterior facade, ongoing
tenant improvements in the retail wings and modifications to allow the
adaptive reuse of the theater auditorium for the performing arts have
brought new life to the theater and to the Tower District, which has
become a lively collection of restaurants, pubs, jazz clubs and antique
shops, with the highly successful 'Tower Theatre for the Performing
Arts' at its center. In 1991, the dramatic theater rehabilitation was
honored with a California Preservation Foundation Award for Outstanding
Achievement in Restoration, and an Award of Honor from the San Joaquin
Chapter, American Institute of Architects.